Multiple federal government agencies report having purchased or used surveillance cameras manufactured by the Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company Ltd, a Chinese state-run company banned by the United States government over security risks.
In total, 24 agencies including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said they had purchased the cameras, according to responses to an Inquiry of Ministry filed by Bloc Quebecois MP René Villemure, which was first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter states.
In its response, the RCMP stated that Hikvision cameras had been purchased but were not currently deployed.
“Cameras were bought for testing by the Technical Investigation Services Program at Headquarters, as well as by Divisions M (Yukon) and K (Alberta); however, it was decided that these cameras would not be deployed,” the RCMP said.
Several departments and Crown corporations, including the Canadian Services Agency, the CBC, Canadian Space Agency, the Coast Guard, along with the departments of health, immigration, and environment all said they had purchased Hikvision cameras but were looking to replace them by the end of 2024.
Others, like the department of infrastructure, said they had only discovered they were using Hikvision cameras after MP Villemuyre had made his request for information and said they were taking steps to replace the surveillance systems.
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The Bank of Canada also confirmed using Hikvision systems, saying they were used in “non-public” areas.
“These were provided by a third-party vendor to whom this service was outsourced. The Bank no longer uses Hikvision surveillance cameras. A privacy impact assessment was not conducted,” The BoC said.
Hikvision cameras were banned for use by the U.S. government in November 2022 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which listed Hikvision among other Chinese companies included in the ban. The FCC deemed the companies and their technology posed a threat to national security.
The UK has also banned Hikvision cameras as of November 2022. Despite this, Hikvision cameras were found to be in use at British army bases just months after the ban was enacted, prompting the chairman of the UK Defence Select Committee to call for an inquiry into the matter.
In Canada, Hikvision cameras were found in 50 Quebec cities and public facilities in December of last year. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had issued warnings over the cameras, which they said could be used for espionage purposes.
“Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd poses a threat to Canada’s national security because it and its products could serve as an intelligence collection platform at home and abroad,” CSIS said in a French-language document obtained by Le Journal de Montréal.
Alongside security concerns, Hikvision subsidiary companies have been subjected to sanctions by the United States for allegedly being involved in the oppression of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang province. The company has denied the allegations.
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